*** International Disaster Assistance Center (IDAC) ***

EmergencyNet News Service
Emergency Response & Research Institute
6348 N. Milwaukee Ave., #312 , Chicago, IL 60646

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12:00CDT
Contact: Steve Macko, ENN Editor
Phone:       (312) 631-3774
FAX:         (312) 631-4703
E-Mail:  enn@emergency.com

ERRI Announces International Disaster Assistance Center (IDAC)

Chicago, IL, June 20, 1996 (ENN) --The Emergency Response &
Research Institute (ERRI) today announced the opening of a new
service on it's emergency service website. The International
Disaster Assistance Center (IDAC) is designed to encourage and
facilitate the exchange of vital information between those
needing specialized rescue personnel, supplies, and equipment
during a disaster, and those that have an ability to provide
such resources.

The project will provide a public webpage with facilities for
the development of a worldwide databank of available
emergency/disaster resources.  Additionally, requests for mutual
aid assistance by official agencies, will be posted in almost
"real-time", allowing agencies in need of special rescue teams
or equipment to make their needs known to the international
disaster community in a timely manner. Both resources and needs
will be verified for authenticity by ERRI personnel prior to
posting to the webpage. It's anticipated that the actual agreement
for movement of supplies or personnel will be arranged between
the agencies involved.

According to Clark Staten, ERRI Executive Director, the project
could prove most useful in large disasters like the Kobe
earthquake, or in smaller local incidents, when specialized
rescue assets like "search dog teams" are needed. "The idea is
to provide a organized place for incident commanders to go for
help, when they are in the midst of an incident and don't know
where else to locate a needed resource." Staten said. "This
concept, using Internet and World-Wide-Web technologies,
provides the possibility of information and resource sharing on
a virtually international basis," the veteran emergency manager
added.

Staten emphasized that IDAC will be provided as a free public
service by ERRI, both for emergency service agencies and those
that would offer to contribute goods/services/personnel to
disaster operations. Staten said that all that is needed now is
for those with special expertise, supplies or equipment to begin
to send information to the IDAC for compiling and posting. He
encouraged cave rescue teams, building collapse specialists,
search dog handlers, equipment suppliers, explosives disposal
technicians, chemical/biological/nuclear experts, and others with
available emergency personnel/assets to share, to please send
information about their organization to ERRI/IDAC by e-mail,
fax, or regular mail.

Questions, comments, suggestions, and publicity are welcomed in
regard to this project. Contact ERRI at the address and numbers
listed below:

   (c) Emergencynet NEWS Service, 1996
   Please redistribute at will.
   Emergency Response & Research Institute
   6348 N. Milwaukee Ave., #312, Chicago, IL 60646
   (312) 631-ERRI - Voice/Voice Mail
   (312) 631-4703 - Fax
   (312) 631-3467 - Computer/Modem-EMERGENCY BBS-28,800bps
   http://www.emergency.com - Website

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